Religion and politics don’t mix

It’s a serious mistake to argue either religion or politics with another person. Friends who get into such an argument usually come away enemies. Likewise, there is a tendency for a church to involve itself in political agendas. Our founding fathers foresaw these dangers. That’s the reason they included a qualifier in the first amendment to the constitution. It states: “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Although this amendment insures freedom of worship, it precludes any religion from becoming state sponsored.

An unspoken rule of etiquette suggests that we never discuss religion or politics at the dinner table, in business circles, at the barbershop, golf course, or with a spouse or a friend. These subjects are highly contentious and can result in heated arguments. Notable successes have been two marriage partners, James Carville, a staunch Democrat, and Mary Matalin, an unwavering Republican. These two people with opposing political interests have learned to live together in peace and harmony during their 27-year marriage.

Church pastors should never attempt to advance a political agenda from the pulpit. That’s not to say that a church should not protest such things as the sale of alcohol in communities or the establishment of a liquor store close to church property. Heaven forbid, today a person can purchase alcohol on Sundays. In my wildest imagination, I never believed there would ever be alcohol sales on the Lord’s Day. When I was growing up in Perry, no stores opened on Sundays except a single gas station to assist automobile travelers passing through town who were running short on fuel.

Jesus set the example for not injecting religion into political matters. The Herodians (King Herod’s loyalists) and the Pharisees (Jewish religious sect) disbelieved that Christ was the Messiah, so they devised a trick question to entrap the Savior.

They asked: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” If Jesus answered, “No,” the Herodians would charge Him with treason against the Roman Empire. If He said, “Yes,” the Pharisees would accuse Him of disloyalty to the overly taxed Jewish nation. Jesus responded, “Show me the tax money.” They brought Jesus a Denarius coin—equivalent to a laborer’s daily wages. Jesus then asked, “Whose likeness is engraved thereon?” “Caesar’s,” they intoned. Jesus then brought an end to their foolish tricks. He responded: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Jesus answered their ‘Catch-22’ question in such a way that His enemies departed speechless. Should we not follow the example of Jesus who refused to inject religion into a contentious political question?

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